The festival was originally
celebrated by South Indians to give thanks for a
bountiful harvest.

Kelana Jaya parliamentary liaison
officer and Kelana Jaya MCA division chairman
Ong Chong Swen was invited as the guest of
honour to cook the first pot of Ponggal rice in
sweet boiled milk with cashew nuts, raisins and
ghee.

The ladies present got excited
and cheered “pongalo, ponggal” when the
pot cooked by Ong spilled over the pot twice,
which is taken as a good sign for the whole
year.

Giving thanks: Ong (centre)
cooking the first pot of Ponggal rice. With her
are (back row, second from left) Muthu, Gan and
Chang.

More than 100 women, young and
old, and dressed in their colourful saris,
participated in the celebration that saw them
cooking over brick stoves at the open space in
front of the Kelana Jaya MIC division in Desa
Mentari, Petaling Jaya.

Besides taking home a pot of
sweet boiled rice, all the participants were
presented a piece of sarong by Ong and
Kelana Jaya MIC division chairman Datuk S.M.
Muthu.

In her speech, Ong pledged her
continuous efforts to work with all communities
in the Kelana Jaya constituency.

Meanwhile, Muthu urged the women
to take good care of their families and
participate in the various community activities.